I want to show you my newest sports card...

[arrowheadnation]

The sports card market is absolutely booming right now. I sold off enough of my other stuff to buy this. There are only 10 of them. It is indescribably beautiful.

[Abba-Dabba]

Originally Posted by arrowheadnation

I totally second this and would add...go to local shows, yes, there will be the typical guys who have their stuff priced out of the stratosphere, but usually there are some guys that will sell at ebay minus fees which is a pretty good savings. (and if they don't sometimes you can convince them to).

Yep, agreed. Card show scan be beneficial if a vendor wants to work off ebay sold listings.

To add to what I was saying earlier, I don't think LCS's should even be allowed to sell retail. Retail is not allowed to sell hobby. I think card manufacturer reps should make surprise visits. Those LCS's that sell unopened present year retail products for way beyond the retail store pricing model should face repercussions. The distributors that supply most of the card shops should as well. The same distributors that supply the LCS's, supply the retail stores. They are all in the racket together, card manufacturers, distributors and LCS's.

But Target outplayed them. They don't want the bullshit from it and I don't blame them. They will fill their shelf space in no time. Hopefully it will cost those manipulating the market millions in sales.

[tatorhog]

Originally Posted by arrowheadnation

I think in the current hobby climate, it would fetch the highest price ever paid for a collectible (not counting fine art). Probably somewhere between $10-15 million, but with the influx of uber rich collectors driven by covid, bids of $20+ million would not surprise me.

BTW...here is a pic of a geniune 52 PSA 10 in case anyone is curious. Pop. 3. This one is owned by a guy in Denver IIRC.

The owner of the Arizona Diamondbacks owns another one. Along with the McNall Wagner.

I think all of the psa10 Mantles came from the Mr Mint Kentucky find from years ago.

[Easy 6]

Originally Posted by RubberSponge

Yep, agreed. Card show scan be beneficial if a vendor wants to work off ebay sold listings.

To add to what I was saying earlier, I don't think LCS's should even be allowed to sell retail. Retail is not allowed to sell hobby. I think card manufacturer reps should make surprise visits. Those LCS's that sell unopened present year retail products for way beyond the retail store pricing model should face repercussions. The distributors that supply most of the card shops should as well. The same distributors that supply the LCS's, supply the retail stores. They are all in the racket together, card manufacturers, distributors and LCS's.

But Target outplayed them. They don't want the bullshit from it and I don't blame them. They will fill their shelf space in no time. Hopefully it will cost those manipulating the market millions in sales.

I'm onboard with every idea you're onto, but I've always been unclear about the difference between hobby and retail... hobby is now the $1000 full box at an actual card store?

But when I buy a mini box of Absolute packs at wally world for $20-30, thats not considered hobby? only dedicated card stores get the best product? Its always seemed a strange distinction IMO

Back in the old days, I clearly remember hobby shops carrying some of the same products you could find at the chain store... help me out here, I don't get it

[Jewish Rabbi]

Retail is only the lower to mid tier products, and even in those the odds of pulling something good is significantly less than getting the same product in a hobby box.

[KChiefs1]

Originally Posted by Jewish Rabbi

Retail is only the lower to mid tier products, and even in those the odds of pulling something good is significantly less than getting the same product in a hobby box.

Hobby boxes are the only way to go.

[KChiefs1]

Originally Posted by arrowheadnation

I think in the current hobby climate, it would fetch the highest price ever paid for a collectible (not counting fine art). Probably somewhere between $10-15 million, but with the influx of uber rich collectors driven by covid, bids of $20+ million would not surprise me.

BTW...here is a pic of a geniune 52 PSA 10 in case anyone is curious. Pop. 3. This one is owned by a guy in Denver IIRC.

I remember when I was collecting cards back in the early 70’s & one of 52 Mantle’s was selling for over a $100. I thought that was too much to pay for a baseball card.

[KChiefs1]

Great read about the 1952 Topps cards.

One of card collecting's greatest classics, Mantle's Topps rookie card is the key to the 1952 Topps set, and without question the most popular and valuable postwar baseball card extant. But it wasn't just Mick's other-worldly talents that lifted the status of this card to its lofty heights within the hobby. That would be entirely too cut-and-dry for us collectors because as you know, we all love a good back story, a little mystique, some greater substance that goes beyond the stats on the verso. And, boy, the tale of Mantle and his "high number" colleagues has all of that and more.

Just as is the practice today, the 1952 Topps set was released to the public in the Spring of that year in two series: a low-number (1-310) and high-number (311-407) product. The initial offering, which coincided with the start of the baseball season sold out at a furious pace. Youngsters, excited by a fresh start for their local teams, just couldn't get enough of these colorful, well-crafted cards.

The buying frenzy continued through July, and with every pack that sold Berger and Gelman's excitement and expectations rose in anticipation of the release of the second series. Unfortunately though, their youthful inexperience became apparent when they mistimed its release.

By the time the "high-numbers" came out it was so late into the summer that the high hopes that fill every fan at the start of the season had faded along with their team's chances of winning it all that year. As such, they shelved their dreams of a World Series title until next year, forgot about all things baseball (including cards) and turned their attention to the upcoming football season. Sales of the second series were so poor that Topps was left with a tremendous amount of unsold product, the type of surplus that a start-up company just can't afford to keep.

By the start of the 1953 season, concern turned to panic as nothing was more irrelevant to the children collecting at the time than last year's cards. Like all kids, they wanted what was new and different which sent Berger and Gelman scrambling to come up with creative ways to move their inventory. Despite their efforts to partner with carnivals, toy companies, and promotional campaigns, hundreds of cases still sat unopened in their warehouse. 1953 turned into '54 and '55, and with each passing year the 1952 issue fell further from the minds of everyone, including the pioneering pair.

By 1960, eight years of frustration finally forced the hands of Berger and Gelman. Faced with a warehouse still filled with case after case of the '52 Topps second series they decided it was time to cut their losses and make room for new business. A call was made for a garbage barge and onto it went some 300 to 500 untouched cases according to Berger's statement in a 2001 copy of Tuff Stuff magazine's Topps 50th anniversary issue (via Bleacher Report). Within the hour all were loaded and the ship made its way towards open waters where it would lay to rest thousands of Mantles, Jackie Robinsons and Eddie Mathewses at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean.

[Abba-Dabba]

Originally Posted by Easy 6

I'm onboard with every idea you're onto, but I've always been unclear about the difference between hobby and retail... hobby is now the $1000 full box at an actual card store?

But when I buy a mini box of Absolute packs at wally world for $20-30, thats not considered hobby? only dedicated card stores get the best product? Its always seemed a strange distinction IMO

Back in the old days, I clearly remember hobby shops carrying some of the same products you could find at the chain store... help me out here, I don't get it

Retail is sold in places like Walmart, Target, Walgreens, Meijers, etc. Oh, and the $1 3card packs at Dollar Tree. I've heard that Big Lots carries cards occasionally, but I can't confirm that. Each place will have it's own exclusive color of parallels. The way they are sold is in single packs, fat packs, hanger boxes, blaster boxes, mega boxes and Topps has tins. Those are not considered hobby.

Retail creates a lower entry price, that was originally intended for children to have access and grow the hobby without having to pay hundreds, or even thousands for Hobby boxes. Retail does have less odds of pulling something that will have great value but it does occur. Just not as good of odds as Hobby.

Hobby is what is sold in your local card stores. The entry price is much steeper, but the odds are greater you will pull auto's, relics, more parallels. Hobby depending on the product can easily cost hundreds of dollars per box. The $20-30 you are spending at retail stores will barely get you 1 pack from most products in LCS's.

[Abba-Dabba]

Originally Posted by KChiefs1

Hobby boxes are the only way to go.

For an adult is.

How many kids do you think would have been able to pay for a $1000-1500 box of Prizm/Select/Optic? How many kids do you think could pay for just a 1 pack at $100 and more? Those products, okay can be pricey for sure. How about Phoenix at 600+. Plates & Patches $300+? Even $200+ for a low end boxes like Certified is out of reach for the majority of kids.

But could they get a Prizm Blaster for $20 or so.

There has to be a way to grow the hobby to kids. Retail was that outlet until adult greed came into play.

How many cards do you think grow in value long term if the the hobby is unable to sustain new collectors, which are typically children in the hobby if there isn't affordable option for them to get even into base cards and set building?

[teedubya]

Originally Posted by KChiefs1

Great read about the 1952 Topps cards.

This always breaks my heart.

[arrowheadnation]

Even though it's not sports related, I still wanted to show my newest pickup....straight from Liverpool!!!!

[Easy 6]

Some pretty relevant sigs no doubt

What did you pay?

Whats it worth?

[Valiant]

Originally Posted by Easy 6

Some pretty relevant sigs no doubt

What did you pay?

Whats it worth?

I am going to guess 4-6k

[DeepPurple]

Originally Posted by arrowheadnation

Even though it's not sports related, I still wanted to show my newest pickup....straight from Liverpool!!!!

It looks like you have them on one sheet of paper or did you overlap a couple for the photo? In any case, that's nice. You need to frame that with glass, matte surround and photos of the artist and that will double the value, although I know you don't want to sell it.

When I was a teenager in St. Pete, Florida growing up I wasn't a Yankee fan, but one day standing outside Al Lang Field when the Yankees & Mets were playing a spring training game, I was standing by the fence with my autograph book. Next to me was a guy dressed real nice about 30 years old with a flat top. I looked and it was Roger Maris, he was now with the Cardinals and came by to see his Yankee friends, funny he was on my side of the fence. I said, hey Roger can you sign and he did. About ten minutes later I see a black limo pull up out front, like dumb kid, I run out and open door and out steps Casey Stengel, once manager of both the Mets & Yankees. I got him to sign on the same piece of paper. Forty years later about 2005 I see I still have this paper and I think, I'm no Yankee fan, why am I hanging on to this. I put it on eBay and somebody bids $150 and said, I'm the biggest Yankee fan in the world. So he bought it and I mailed to him.

[Jewish Rabbi]

Originally Posted by DeepPurple

It looks like you have them on one sheet of paper or did you overlap a couple for the photo? In any case, that's nice. You need to frame that with glass, matte surround and photos of the artist and that will double the value, although I know you don't want to sell it.

When I was a teenager in St. Pete, Florida growing up I wasn't a Yankee fan, but one day standing outside Al Lang Field when the Yankees & Mets were playing a spring training game, I was standing by the fence with my autograph book. Next to me was a guy dressed real nice about 30 years old with a flat top. I looked and it was Roger Maris, he was now with the Cardinals and came by to see his Yankee friends, funny he was on my side of the fence. I said, hey Roger can you sign and he did. About ten minutes later I see a black limo pull up out front, like dumb kid, I run out and open door and out steps Casey Stengel, once manager of both the Mets & Yankees. I got him to sign on the same piece of paper. Forty years later about 2005 I see I still have this paper and I think, I'm no Yankee fan, why am I hanging on to this. I put it on eBay and somebody bids $150 and said, I'm the biggest Yankee fan in the world. So he bought it and I mailed to him.

It's authenticated and already in a slab, no need to frame it.